“You’ll find someplace.”
“Can I come back?” Grant looked at me for a split second and then back at Tyler. “I can be your driver, like before, I don’t mind.”
“No. It’s over for you and me Grant.” Tyler stepped forward and grabbed his shirt. “You’ve failed me. You nearly made me lose the one girl I’ve always wanted.”
“Tyler.” Grant’s voice sounded whiny and I watched the man before me turn into a little boy.
“It’s over, Grant. It should have been over a long time ago.” Tyler turned to me. “Thank you for telling me about Eugenie.” He said softly and I smiled at him awkwardly. How had he just accepted what I had to say without questioning me? It was almost as if he had guessed that something wasn’t right. Maybe he’d even heard the slight creaks and noises in the night and wondered what was going on. Maybe he was finally ready to move on from the pain and the heartache he suffered. Now he knew the truth. And now we could be together.
“So you won.” Grant’s voice was a monotone. “Once again you won.”
“Go now, let Eugenie go and leave.” Tyler had a small smirk on his face and I shivered in the night air.
“Shouldn’t we go and make sure that he lets her go?” I grabbed his arm. “Do you really trust him?”
“Grant knows that if he doesn’t let her go, he will find himself in a very bad place.” Tyler’s voice held a lightly veiled threat.
“I’ll go now.” Grant nodded and looked at me one last time. “I wish you would have chosen me, Evie. I wish you would have chosen me.”
Chapter Seven
I watched as Tyler ran into a store and walked over to a fruit stall in the market to buy some fresh oranges and apples. The last couple of days had been magnificent without Grant and Eugenie in the house. I felt like I was really getting to know Tyler well. It felt odd that I still hadn’t gone back home yet. And even odder to be starting a relationship with him under these circumstances, but it just felt right. He had already paid off all of my student loans and while it made me feel slightly guilty, I knew that he could afford to and wanted to help me out. I didn’t see it as anything wrong. He wanted to take care of me because he was falling in love with me. He was my Prince Charming. All of these years I’d waited for him and he’d finally come along.
“You’re the new girl?” An older lady with dark hair stared at me from under her hat as I looked at the fruit in the stall in front of her. “You should leave.”
“Sorry, what?” I frowned at her, wondering what she was talking about.
“You’re the new girl up at Slate Manor?” Her eyes narrowed as she surveyed me. “That’s a scary place. It’s almost like it’s haunted.” Her eyes never left my face.
“Uhm yeah, but Grant Slate is no longer there.” I almost whispered. “It’s just me and Tyler now.” As I spoke to her I realized I didn’t even know his last name.
“Tyler is a Slate as well.” She paused. “They’re cousins.”
“I know.” I stared back at her fearlessly.
She grabbed my hand. “Stand still, let me read your palms.”
“Uh okay.” I gazed at her and looked around, hoping that Tyler would hurry up in the shop and come back and get me. I was uncomfortable being with this lady.
“The game has begun again.” She dropped my hand and looked up at me, her eyes alert.
“Grant and Tyler have been playing this game for a long time now.”
“They did.” I sighed, not wanting to explain myself to her. “But it’s over now. Grant is gone. And the last girl, Eugenie, well she’s gone to safety now.”
“I know that.” She shook her head. “I warned her as well.”
“Warned her of what?”
“They’ll tell you anything. Do anything. Each new girl is the old girls salvation. You lose your head when you’re at the manor. They count on that. Every girl loses her mind or thinks she does. They hear things. See things.”
“What?” I frowned. “I don’t understand what you’re saying.”
“It’s not a ghost.” She shook her head and she dropped her voice to a whisper. “It’s in the water.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Eugenie wasn’t your friend, Evie. And the Slate boys, well, the Slate boys have more games than they do condoms.”
“What?” My jaw dropped open. “What are you talking about?”
“The apples are two for a dollar.” She said sweetly and I frowned at the change of subject.
“Are you ready, Evie?” I felt Tyler’s arm on my back and I looked up at his beaming face and nodded.
“Yes, I don’t think I’ll get any fruit today.” I looked back at the lady, but she was looking away from me. What had she been talking about?
“You must be tired after everything. Let’s go home and get some rest.”
“Yeah.” I nodded. “And then tomorrow, we do need to go into town. I need to tell Hailey that I’m okay and pick up some of my stuff.”
“Let’s go home now and we’ll discuss everything else later.” He grabbed my hand and we walked to the car. “Right now, it just needs to be you and me.” He said softly. “We just need to live in the magic of the moment.”
***
“I have some presents for you.” Tyler grinned as he led me into the master bedroom after we got home.
“You didn’t have to get me anything.” I shook my head and squeezed his hand. “Just being with you is enough.”
“I’m so lucky to have you, Evie. I never thought I’d meet someone like you.”
“Neither did I.” I leaned forward and kissed him softly.
“Come.” He grabbed my hand. “Sit on the bed.”
“What did you get me?” I asked eagerly awaiting my presents.
“Roses for my rose.” He handed me a bouquet of red roses. “To represent my love and passion for you.”
“Thank you.” I smiled. “How sweet of you.”
“That’s not all.” He handed me a small box and my heart started racing.
“What’s this?”
“Open it.” He sat next to me and watched my face.
“A ring?” I gasped at the platinum band with the huge carat diamond.
“It’s a promise ring.” He rubbed my back. “I promise to take care of you and all of your needs. I promise to always be the man you need me to be. I promise to always take care of you.”
“Oh Tyler.” I took the ring out of the box. “Thank you.”
“Just say you’ll never leave me.” His eyebrows furrowed. “I couldn’t stand it if you left me.”
“Oh Tyler, I’ll never leave you.”
“Good.” He smiled. “Two more presents.”
“You’re spoiling me.” I laughed.
“Good, you deserve to be spoiled.” He grinned and reached into a bag on the stand. “This is for you.” He handed me another jewelry case. I opened it slowly and saw a beautiful silver ROLEX watch.
“Oh my God, Tyler. This is too much.”
“Nothing is too much for you.” He took the watch and placed it on my wrist. “Perfect, it fits perfectly.”
“You’re too generous.”